DeCuvieri

Let me be the fourth or fifth person to tout Chaotic Neutral. Neutral by itself is a simple musk, but it really does compliment Chaotic well. Getting bottles of both on the next order for sure! Many years ago, a lifetime in terms of computer games, came a BioWare title called Baldur's Gate. It was there that I created one of two characters who have followed me around for years: A Chaotic-Neutral human (Fallen) Ranger. I was really excited to see how this lineup would layer when the RPG line came out, and I'm so psyched because this combination turned out to be a perfect match to what I think my character would smell like. Chaotic Neutral Ranger: Even though each cites some musk or another in their ingredients list, these three layer up into a pleasant, warm woodsy scent. My big concern with Ranger the first go around was that it was a little too masculine, but Chaotic breaks the straight-up ruggedness with some really alien notes and Neutral softens the blend enough for a woman to wear comfortably. I am in love with this combination! Neutral Evil Rogue: Inspired by my other old role play subject, I think this one has potential applied in the right proportion. I originally felt that Rogue really needed a compliment scent, and I think Evil accommodates that PERFECTLY. The end result is a foreboding figure in leather armor. Plus it's gender-neutral which addresses the suspicion I had that Rogue was too manly. I spread the three oils in equal proportions, but I think it would serve better to go a little easy on the Neutral next time, heavier on the Evil. Now I just need a Tiefling race scent and I'll be one happy camper!

Bottle: Woofta. This is my first experience with the “ozone” note, and I’m sort of ambivalent towards Sea of Glass in the bottle. I was hoping for something less brazen. Wet: Not much change once it hits skin. Ozone overpowers everything else in the mix. Dry: I can’t pin down exactly what it is, but there is definitely a floral in here. It resembles the lily of the valley note I just tried in Death-Horse, but it helps quiet down the harsh clean smell this oil was giving off when wet. A few people describe Sea of Glass as aquatic or even salty, but this oil reminds me of no water body I’ve visited. Conclusion: I personally don’t think Sea of Glass has much personality in conjunction with my chemistry. A soft, white floral with a blast of cleanliness, but not much else. Might be nice for a person with more light, upbeat preferences. For those of us who like like darker, heavier scents, this is a miss.

This was a frimp from the Lab, and I can say that I never would have ordered this based on the description and reviews. I don’t like flowery scents at all, but the name intrigued me. In Bottle: Two layers to this one. The first is very floral-sweet, but the second is almost rancid. Smells like a pile of decaying flowers and... something. The concept works with the oil’s namesake, but it really makes me reconsider putting this on my skin. But some of my favorite scents smell awful in the bottle too, so let’s hope for a morpher. Wet: That ugly tone, whatever its origin, smoothens out. Guessing it’s the oppoponax? Anyway, it and the softer florals begin to blend. Not sure into what exactly, but it’s an improvement compared to the first impression. That doesn’t say much. Dry: Virtually no throw, but I was pretty stingy on the application site so that may be the cause. The lily takes over and the stink note dissipates. What I’m left with is eau de funeral home: A sort of light, musty floral that is closer to the sad sense of loss that follows death than the occurrence itself. Death-Horse is a beautiful animal that wears a wreathe of old, rotting flowers. Conclusion: I didn’t like this until the dry-down, and while my first instinct is to get rid of this imp ASAP, I think age might do this oil some good. I’m going to shove this one in a dark box for a month or two, see what comes of it. I think it has the potential to be something good down the road, and I'll amend this after the second run.

I put in last week for another set of imps and a few bottles, so if I get any in that bunch that are better suited towards you I can just toss them in with my imp of Perversion and send it your way. I might be interested in trying your Soldier and maybe Tin Phoenix. I'm kind of leery of metal tones myself, so we'll see what comes of that. I also have my imp of Rogue; It doesn't have that steampunk quality, and if it goes on you like it does me, I think you'd enjoy it. I'm going to try layering it with the alignment scents I've got coming, but if things don't pan out I'll pitch that one over to you too. Thinking about it now it might even layer well with Perversion. I'd try it myself, but Perversion goes straight to maple syrup on my skin no matter what. :/

After reading the reviews for this, I think you may be right. Thanks! I'll try to hunt it down. Having gotten a couple orders back, I feel confident enough to return the favor. If I skipped anyone it’s because I am at a genuine loss for ideas. Still new to this myself. I know I said it on LJ, but Perversion smells to me like straight-up Girl Pirate. Like, DA2 edition of Isabella, 100%. Heavy on the rum, yet still sweet. My chemistry really amped up the sweetness to the point where I can’t wear it; I still have my imp, so if you like maybe we can trade sometime. Also, Coyote if you haven’t given that one a whirl. I can’t remember if you said you ordered it? If not, I love the smell of Coyote, but it doesn’t project the image I’m going for. This may seem ironic given the religious mention, but for you I really think Lilith. The scent is not evil or sinister, it's dark and independent. Your experience may vary, but in my case after the wine note evaporates, the musty rose leftover is not flowery-girly, but sophisticated and very respectable. Intelligent. Beautiful, perhaps dangerous. However, this oil in particular seems to get a lot of mixed reviews, especially from people who's chemistry amps up fruity notes. Since you're leery of fruitiness, you may consider getting a partial imp if you can, or alternatively look into Vixen. Now this one I’m going to go out on a limb on, so be forewarned. Rogue from the RPG line is one of my recent additions. In the bottle it’s very masculine, going on it’s very masculine. After it dries settles down into something more of a heavy, musky leather. I wore it out yesterday and it did work for me, but I really think you should try layering this with Good (or maybe even Elf). Either of those will get it to lean more towards a woman’s scent and should compliment various aspects of you nicely (Watch from a corner, practical, prefer to be out-of sight, darker themes). As sort of a reverse to my above recommendation, for you I'm leaning towards Vixen first. I actually have a friend who finally, after six years of legwork, found a job as a librarian and she loves this oil. Heh, perhaps I'm biased? Anyway, Vixen isn't all that heavy, but I think it does have it's own sense of mystique. Not like it's concealing anything dangerous, per say. Hmm... It's that curtained-off area in your favorite old book or sundry store: You pretty much know what's back there, but you're dying to stick your head in for a look anyway. Don't be deterred by first-impression reviews either. Vixen in the bottle is super-potent, but unless your skin tends to amp up any of the notes (for most people who have an issue it seems to be the ginger) it should even out into a very "classical" scent.

Normally I would do the sequential review after time goes on and the scent morphs, but Perversion on my skin is a one way street. In the imp we're talking liquid sugar, but once applied it goes straight to rum and maple syrup. Very dark and heavy, but I don't like smelling like something in my grandmother's candy dish. This one is definitely going up for trade.

Imp: In the bottle Rogue is powerful. Suspected this one would probably be very manly because of the leather and rosin, and first impression seems to confirm it. Wet: The aged leather is the most prominent tone by far, but it's much less boisterous as the rosin gets a chance to come through. The scent quiets down quite a bit upon application: It's still present, but it's trying to blend in a bit. Just like a rogue should do. Dry: After drydown and about an hour of wear, Rogue is subtle but still lurking about. As time goes on the leather loses much of its potency and the rosin tends to take over. My skin absorbs the hemp, leaving me with lingering, very mellow pine. Final Thoughts: I was looking for a sort of woodsy, adventurous woman scent when I took up Rogue and Ranger. While Ranger is heavy on the forest aspect, I think Rogue is good for getting that "I'll rob you blind and be gone before you notice" image, though for a woman I think it would have to be layered with something else. As the ingredients would imply, it's quite masculine - far more so than Ranger, which seems more unisex. I'll either end up trading it or try layering it with Good or Neutral most likely. It's a solid base oil, but I feel like it's lacking something essential.

Having had a lot of time with Ranger and a chance to acclimate to it, I decided to rework my entire review. While I was at first not sure about this blend it has since become one of my staples, and I realized the other night why: This is practically the unrefined base of Illustrated Woman. Layered with Neutral it practically is IW, though it lacks a certain note the CD scent has that irritates my throat. But I digress. In the wet stage Ranger is a slap in the face of evergreens. Not Pine-Sol or cheap car air freshener though, just a lush green forest. This is the only point I ever detect the juniper as it evaporates quickly during the dry down. The end product is a brazen woodsy smell softened up by the mosses and buckskin, but I think my chemistry mutes those too much for them to be very noticeable. The patchouli also never really comes to the front line -- which is good. This blend wouldn't benefit from the hippie vibe too much. By itself Ranger leans towards the masculine, though a woman can wear it well (Which I do often). Layering it with Neutral, Elf, or Lawful has produced some lovely results that can solidify it as a thoroughly feminine scent. So if you enjoy Illustrated Woman, Black Forest, The Forest Reverie, ect. this may well be worth an imp.

Thanks, Diva Urd. That was the exact type of emotion that I was trying to project. I'll be sure to try those out.

Like others here I'm just getting into BPAL. I've decided to start off with the six imp set, but I'm still a little unsure of my best options. I've already decided on trying Ranger and Rogue from the RPG category, but the remaining four are still up in the air. I'm 22, a Political Science major with a minor in Art. I've been described as a problem solver because I'm capable of both compromising and "waging war" as the situation calls for it. I'm often the one people go to when mediation is required. This is going to sound so pretentious, but I really do value intelligence and wit in the people around me. I utilize a lot of sarcasm and self-depreciating humor, but I have zero tolerance for being insulted by some one else. I also have a long memory and can be just a teeny weensy bit vindictive when I've been wronged. That said I much prefer to have a healthy network of connections, and thus will bend over backwards to accommodate others. Close friends have described my demeanor as "sexual, but not intimate" which I can kind of agree with, and I'm most comfortable in rural, woodsy settings. I'm not too fond of overly flowery tones, preferring darker or fiery scents. I do best with musky, bold, and some citrus fragrances. I'm leery of cinnamon because it can smell foody or holidayish, but I was thinking of trying Chimera for my multi-tonal personality. Aelopile also seems like a good bet for me. In all, I'm really looking for a scent that people will come to attribute to me, so the more distinctive the better.